Moisturizers -Desert Essence - Jojoba Oil - 100% pure
novelist 10/28/2009 8:30:00 PM
I hesitated to write this review because I know that so many females use jojoba oil with good results. I, however, am not one of those females. I have used non-organic jojoba oil on my calves with good results in the summer, and have added the same type to lotion to increase moisturization. I bought this small bottle of organic jojoba oil for about $14 from drugstore.com, and I was a bit surprised at the smallness of the bottle when I first saw it. The non-organic bottle is 16 ounces and I got it several years ago for about $9.00. Anyway, this past weekend, I rubbed some of this organic oil into my hair, and proceeded to develop whiteheads all along my hairline, wherever the jojoba oil came into contact with the skin. I think that the organic nature of the product is too potent for me since I suffer from allergies and cannot tolerate most seed oils (rose oil gives me a nasty rash and whiteheads, and the seed oils in Purity produces whiteheads all over my face). The quality is superior to the non-organic oil so this product lives up to a higher standard. It's just that for me, too much of a good thing was not a good thing. Won't repurchase.
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Fuji
novelist 10/28/2009 4:10:00 PM
My first eye shadow from NARS, Fuji is a dark olive green with a subtle luminous sheen. It has a fine silky texture and I did experience mild fallout but no more than from the other two brands I use, Dior and Bobbi Brown. I love the way it makes my light blue eyes look which is a bit less blue and a bit more aqua. I used it on the lid and crease with Copper Penny from Bobbi Brown from the crease to the browline, and dark brown eyeliner just on the upper lid. The overall effect was very nice, subtle but daytime alluring. The powder stayed on after I was out in 20 mph wind so I guess it lasts! The packaging is adorable, a teeny tiny version of a larger palette. The product itself is concentrated so I did not need to use much to get the look I wanted (a complaint of Bobbi Brown's shadows imo). This little midget will probably last me years but I would re-purchase if need be. The price is up there, but for a quality eyeshadow, I'll pay for it. Not many of NARS shadows would look good with my cool skintone and blue eyes, but this one is a winner for me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Philosophy - When Hope Is Not Enough - Serum
novelist 10/27/2009 11:29:00 PM
I just purchased what must be my 6th or 7th bottle of this serum which I use with the philosophy vit. c powder and Hope In a Jar, every other night. I have used this serum in this manner for about 3 years now, and it has brightened my skin tone while ridding it of the last of the melasma which was the legacy of perimenopause. It is one of my key products for skin care and this trio works very well for me. Fine lines have softened and the overall texture of my skin has improved. I will say that this serum is for women over 30, like many of philosophy basic products for skin care. A young woman or girl with good skin will get little effect from this product which is targeted for skin which needs moisture and improved skin texture. It is pricey but lasts me about 5-6 months; my alternate product is Albolene (on other nights) so I've got a handle on costs this way and I wouldn't use this product (in conjunction with the other philosophy products) every night anyway.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Johnson & Johnson - Moisturizing Baby Wash
novelist 10/27/2009 4:04:00 PM
Simple, lovely, luxurious, and effective. There is no hype here, just a lot of really good stuff. It is cleansing, moisturiizing, and softening to my skin, and I adore using it in the shower.
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Conditioner -Redken - All Soft Conditioner
novelist 10/27/2009 3:57:00 PM
I used this conditioner this morning with the hair cleansing cream shampoo (also reviewed) and the combination worked very well. I veered away from buying the shampoo of Allsoft because I'd read unpleasant reviews about it but I also cannot find it in any size other than a liter (sign of a shampoo on its way out?). This conditioner has a lovely feeling on my wet hair and it penetrates all the layers of my rather thick head of hair without my having to apply more product to reach the innermost layers. The price is decent, and a little goes a long way. I also use the heavy cream for a weekly treatment so Redken has a good line here if they improve the shampoo.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Redken - Hair Cleansing Cream
novelist 10/27/2009 3:51:00 PM
I generally wait until I have used a shampoo a few times to review it but this morning I washed my hair with this Redken shampoo and was so impressed and excited that I have to review it. My layered medium-length reddish blonde hair looks fantastic. The layers lay the way they should without styling. My hair is soft and I credit the Allsoft Conditioner which I mated with it. I'd read reviews on several sites about the Allsoft shampoo not being good, so I decided to try this one to clarify and moisturize my hair. There is a Natural Instinct rinse on it but this shampoo left the color alone and took away the brassiness. I wash my hair every other day and use a few different shampoos which I rotate. I will probably use this one every other week because I have read comments about this product being too clarifying if used too often. Not only do I highly recommend this shampoo, but my teenaged daughter with her fine hair was "forced to use Mom's s&c" this morning (someone had taken her usuals out of the shower) and she even admitted that her hair is lustrous and soft. The price is reasonable and there is no weird smell, just fragrance which is a Redken staple. I am making this one a permanent member of the shampoo rotation but since just a quarter-sized squeeze will do the job, the bottle will last me many months.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Bumble & Bumble - Gentle Shampoo
novelist 10/27/2009 12:27:00 AM
I tried to make this product work, along with the mated conditioner, but in the end, it dried out my hair. I think I followed a line of hype about the simple natural purity of this shampoo, but I won't re-purchase. It took me a long time to condition my hair (with far less "pure" products) back to its normal healthy state. I also think that the price is ridiculous for the small bottle of a shampoo which actually felt a bit slimey.
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Liquid Neutrogena Facial Cleansing Formula
novelist 10/26/2009 10:26:00 PM
This cleanser is the one I use on my face and neck every night and have for the last few years. It is glycerin-based and my skin just loves the formulation. My face never feels tight or too washed and it is inexpensive. The product works, and I will keep using it until the product changes or my skin does, and needs something else.
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Polishes -Chanel - Antilope Nail Lacquer
novelist 10/26/2009 10:17:00 PM
A semi-frosty polish which is not sheer on my nails (which are quite pink to begin with) and has a pinky beige tone with a very subtle touch of gold. I use it as a basic but I also like to wear it whenever I am going to wear black so it forms a contrast. This polish, like any soft color with some frost, is very hard to apply well; it requires more time to dry and more time to dry, and then still some more time to dry. But the finished look is well worth it and, once again, so is Chanel. I choose carefully the shades I buy because at this price they are more than an investment; they are commitments. Packaging quality is superb, protective cover over a ribbed top and the entire bottle looks like the classy Chanel image. No disappointments here.
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Polishes -Chanel - Madness
novelist 10/26/2009 10:08:00 PM
This color is my other dark Chanel (Blue Satin is the other) and they rival one another for my favorite polish. I love the color on my short nails, and it lasts fairly long. I wear it mostly in fall and winter and think it is a very sophisticated color (very dark maroon with a chocolate undertone). The packaging is excellent and I expect to own it for a long time. I will repurchase if need be, and long for the nostalgic cost of $18 when I first bought it.
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Polishes -Chanel - Shanghai Red
novelist 10/26/2009 10:01:00 PM
This color is the only red which I can wear with my cool pink-toned skin. It is a blue-red that has a slight shimmer to it but does not look cheap. It ought not; Chanel nail polishes are the best, in my opinion, but they are now $23, up from $18 to $20. If they go up more in price, I shall have to re-consider buying them, but for now, a Chanel nail polish is one luxury in which I must indulge myself.
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Polishes -Chanel - Blue Satin
novelist 10/26/2009 9:55:00 PM
I have cool-toned skin and this color looks absolutely gorgeous on my nails. I hesitated at first to buy it because I thought I was too old, but my teenaged daughter convinced me, and I am glad that I bought it. I've been through a lot of nail polishes (Joan Rivers, OPI, Lippmann -- the worst --, Sephora, MAC, Cover Girl). Chanel is the best. Expensive, yes, but worth it. I work with my hands so I usually get 3 or 4 days from an application before chips start (a week's wear at most), but my nails look feminine, polished, classy. I would buy this color again, but because the packaging is so superior, I doubt it will dry out, and I secure my Chanel polishes in a special little box in a small dresser drawer, almost like some gems.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar
novelist 10/26/2009 3:48:00 PM
Rockstar is the third pencil I've tried from Urban Decay and it does not disappoint. With my bright light blue eyes, the color looks dark violet with a dark charcoal undertone. Makes my eyes look almost aqua. I am wearing it today with the mossy green eyeshadow from the Dior Night Butterfy quint, and the look is so daytime glam that I changed my attire from pants to a simple black dress. Amazing what an eye pencil can do when it does what it is supposed to do. I have "Envy" in a wish list for Christmas.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24-7 Glide on eyeliner in bourbon
novelist 10/26/2009 3:42:00 PM
This color was my first from Urban Decay's 24/7 pencils. I now have three and it is still my favorite. The brown appears plummy with my bright blue eyes and the color works well with everything. So this one is #1, Stash is #1A, Rockstar #1B. I really like them all. Best of all, they stay in place and I can blend them into eyeshadows. What a great product!
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Eyes -Laura Mercier - Eye Pencil
novelist 10/25/2009 10:14:00 PM
I own this pencil in the Special Brown, and I have come to believe that there is not much special about it. It runs and doesn't last; in the summer I cannot use it at all. The color is wonderful for my eyes, a cool dark smokey brown, but other than the color, it has nothing to recommend it. It sits in my makeup mug along with my Urban Decay eye pencils, and it gets ignored. I will use it for my upper lash line because it won't run as much there but it was an expensive product and did not live up to my expectations of it.
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